'Illegal tobacco and vapes are a danger to anyone who uses them'

HULL TOBACCO SEIZURES INCREASE - WITH 2.4M CIGARETTES CONFISCATED IN 2024

- By LAURA CROSS

THE amount of counterfeit cigarettes, tobacco and vapes seized by Hull City Council’s Public Protection Team doubled in 2024, the council says.

Between 2023 and 2024, the number of confiscated cigarettes increased from 1.05 million, to 2.4 million; tobacco pouches from 5,312 to 25,841; and vapes from 26,868 to 45,731. The figures included routine seizures, as well as particularly large finds.

In a single operation, taking place in October 2024, cigarettes, vapes and goods worth around £100,000 were recovered. In March of the same year, tens of thousands of counterfeit products were discovered stashed in an industrial-sized bin with a concealed compartment.